Notes & images from camp: Day 11

*There was no morning clubhouse access for reporters as the players had their annual media training.

*Jonathan Schoop and Manny Machado, who came over to Major League camp yesterday, were both on the field working out today and figure to be here for the next few days. Schoop, a second baseman was wearing No. 87, while Machado (shortstop) was wearing No. 85. The pair of young infielders are considered to be the organization’s top position prospects. O’s manager Buck Showalter said there was some thought to inviting those two officially to Major League camp, but he wanted to reward LJ Hoes and Xavier Avery -who are both further along — on good seasons in Double-A.

*Right-hander Dylan Bundy again created a mini-scene in throwing his first true live batting practice this afternoon. (the first time through was mostly tracking and the hitters couldn’t swing.) The 19-year-old Bundy, who is the Orioles’ top pitching prospect, started off throwing to first baseman Chris Davis and infielder Robert Andino, and the two were beyond impressed. Andino needed just four words to describe Bundy’s repertoire and two of those words were expletives while Davis couldn’t believe Bundy had five pitches as a high school arm. Yeah, he’s that impressive. Bundy then threw to Endy Chavez and Wilson Betemit.

*Tsuyoshi Wada will take another day off of throwing after having his left elbow drained of inflammation, as well as a Cortisone shot, on Sunday. He has reported to be feeling better every day and he could pick up a ball as soon as Thursday.

*As a freshman walk-on hopeful at the University of Florida, Darren O’Day was cut from the Gators’ baseball squad. He was done with baseball, not willing to go to a junior college as the program suggested, because O’Day — an animal biology major with a minor in geography — valued a four-year degree more than being a reserve pitcher.

It wasn’t supposed to be a career revival that summer when O’Day’s coworker needed a pitcher for his adult men’s league, but that’s exactly what it was. There in Starke, Fla., where O’Day’s family rented a house on Kingsley Lake, he started experimenting with throwing sidearm. A traditional overhand pitcher his entire life, O’Day and his brother had occasionally messed around with different deliveries while playing catch in the backyard. But that summer, where games came with cigarettes strewn in the dugout and cans of Keystone Light beer on the bench, O’Day found his niche batting cleanup, playing shortstop and baffling 40- and 50 year-old men when on the hill.

O’Day has a very interesting back story (including a funny story with Texas) and you can read my full feature piece here.

*Pitching matchups for the first week of spring games, where each starter will go two innings include:

Monday- Brian Matusz (home) Alfredo Simon (road at Tampa Bay)

Tuesday- Tommy Hunter and Dana Eveland

Wednesday- Wei-Yin Chen and Chris Tillman

Thursday- Jason Hammel and Armando Galarraga

Friday- Jake Arrieta followed by the bullpen

Saturday will reset the order with Matusz and Simon.

The intrasquad games on Friday and Saturday will feature each pitcher just throwing one inning and Arrieta and Hammel will start the first game and Galarraga and Chen on Saturday. For those curious, Dylan Bundy will throw in Saturday’s intrasquad game.

All of the team’s position players, with the exception of Nick Markakis (abdominal surgery) and Brian Roberts are expected to get into the intrasquad games, including Machado and Schoop. Showalter said Markakis had a good day swinging the bat.

*Oscar Villareal was not in camp today because he had to go to tend to some immigration issues. He’s expected to be back tomorrow.

*Hunter is dealing with some lower back tightness, according to Showalter, but it’s considered a minor issue and he’s been cleared to pitch. As for catcher Taylor Teagarden’s he progressing really well and will catch 3-5 innings in the intrasquad game. Teagarden, who had a second knee surgery last month, said the biggest hurdle to clear now is endurance, and catching in games should give him a much better idea of where he’s at.

*Former Orioles DH and new Tampa Bay Ray Luke Scott discussed the end of the 2011 season and how he dislikes Red Sox fans in a story by my colleague Bill Chastain. The always-quotable Scott is in rare form here, and it’s worth a read.

Nice update and pics! Thanx.
How does Adams look? Is he even in the mix for utility job?
Is Reynolds throwing getting any specialized attention during infield? This guy is very athletic. if he can go from 31 to 14 errors and hit like last year he is a star here.

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